Ekaterina Petrochenko's review of N. V. Gogol's book "Dead Souls" as part of the competition "My Favorite Book" of the literary portal "Buklya". .
Picking up the book, I had a very vague idea of what it was about. You could say I didn't know at all.
Gogol always knew how to denounce and ridicule human sins and vices (specifically here: avarice, greed and stupidity), and in this work this is especially highlighted and striking. No one escaped Nikolai Vasilyevich's watchful eye, everyone got it. The author christened the heroes with speaking surnames, which cannot be imperceptible, in each character this or that essence is thoroughly revealed. That is why this work remains relevant to this day.
As always, Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol pleases us with his description of nature. Russian nature! It is through the endless pages of expression of love for the native land that the great writer is recognized.
Very interesting, unusual and unexpected plot. Fascinating reading accompany this book. There was a sense of slowness in the story, there was a desire to know everything to the end. The book conveys all the features of life.
I also liked the main character Chichikov. His character and mind. Gogol was able to present it from all sides. But he struck me with his cunning, resourcefulness, good manners and upbringing. Probably, you can even learn something from him. In general, the book has a lot of good advice and you can draw a lot of conclusions.
Books most often play the role of a time machine, a kind of guide on an excursion into the past. This one also takes the reader to that era of Russia, conveys the spirit of that time, all the nuances and subtleties in certain estates. The author notices all the small details, which creates a unique cozy atmosphere. It even seems to me that the work has a certain historical value.
It is interesting to note that the title of the work has two interpretations:
- These are the souls of peasants who have long since died, but according to the lists are listed as alive.
- These are landlord "dead souls" who need to go through the path of purification and change for the better.
After reading, many probably felt how lacking a complete second volume, in which the writer promised to continue the adventures of Chichikov. But maybe this is fortunately, since the reader himself can come up with the missing continuation of the book.
The most important thing is to read the book slowly, not to force yourself to do it under duress and not to let others do it. Even if it is necessary for school, it is better if you take care in advance and get acquainted with the book in the summer. And then the amazing work of the great Russian classic will open for you!
The review was written as part of the contest "".
Russian classics
Review of Gogol's book "Dead Souls"
Even during the life of the writer, his contemporaries (K. S. Aksakov, S. P. Shevyrev) dubbed his famous novel the Russian Iliad. A hundred and fifty years later, this assessment is by no means outdated. Gogol's novel-poem is one of the few books that define the very face of Russian literature. And her spirit too. For the present times, the ideas of "Dead Souls" are no less relevant than for the middle of the last century. Are not the words of the final chord of Gogol's poem addressed to our days: “Rus, where are you rushing to? Give an answer. No answer"? Is there at least one person today who would intelligibly answer the question of the classic? There's no such thing! And never will!
And the immortal types created by Gogol are very topical. Starting with the seeker of dead souls - Chichikov, whose main distinguishing feature is acquisitiveness. The man-acquirer - isn't he our contemporary? Not a sign of today's Russia? How many newly-minted Chichikovs - born acquirers - are now scouring the world in search of their "dead souls". Buy, sell, deceive, cash in by hook or by crook, and there - at least the grass does not grow. What people? What country? After us - at least a flood. Everything else is exactly the same as Gogol. Here he is - a modern hero-acquirer:
Who is he? So, a scoundrel? Why is a scoundrel, why be strict with others? Now there are no scoundrels among us, there are well-meaning, pleasant people, and those who would expose their physiognomy to a public slap in the face to general disgrace, only two or three people can be found, and even they are already talking about virtue. It is most fair to call him: the owner, the acquirer. Acquisition is the fault of everything; because of him things were done, to which the light gives the name of not very pure. “...” Countless, like the sands of the sea, human passions, and all are not alike one another, and all of them, low and beautiful, are at first obedient to a person and then already become his terrible rulers.
The last phrase is worthy of the lips of a great philosopher. However, Gogol was a philosopher. For, as is well known, Russian philosophy for a long time was created mainly through Russian literature - poetry, prose, journalism, criticism and the epistolary genre. Dead Souls is one of the most philosophical books. And at the same time - one of the most poetic. It is named so by the author - a poem. Poem about Russia! About her people! About his heroes! Chichikovs, Manilovs, Boxes, Sobakevichs, Nozdrevs, Plyushkins - they are all flesh from the flesh of our people. So that's who we are. “There is nothing to blame on the mirror ...” - as the same Gogol noted in another place.
By the way, those who are usually classified as "people" are debunked by the writer with the same frank ruthlessness as representatives of the so-called "high society". And not only the servant Petrushka, the coachman Selifan, and two peasants who are philosophizing at the very beginning of the novel about the cart wheel: it will reach Moscow or Kazan. But the very salt of the people, its beauty and glory - blacksmiths, indisputable heroes of songs and fairy tales - are presented by Gogol without any embellishment and exaggeration, but as they were and remain in reality:
... The blacksmiths, as usual, were notorious scoundrels and, realizing that the work was needed in a hurry, they broke exactly six times. No matter how excited he [Chichikov] was, he called them swindlers, robbers, robbers of those passing by, even hinted at the Last Judgment, but the blacksmiths did not get through with anything: they completely withstood the character - not only did not retreat from the price, but even were transported at work instead of two hours as many as five and a half.
So much for you and "we forge the keys of happiness"! By the way, about happiness. If you look at Gogol's heroes from this side (from the point of view of the classical concept of eudemonism, that is, the doctrine of happiness - see: an essay on Feuerbach), then all of them - in many ways - are the embodiment of already achieved happiness. Isn't Chichikov happy, acquiring another portion of dead souls? Or Sobakevich, having shaken off the worthless "goods"? And the lucky Manilov? rowdy Nozdrev? hoarder Box? superscopid Plushkin? Their ideas about achieved happiness are fully consistent with the teachings of the eudemonists about a person's striving for happiness as the main driving force of any social development. But is this happiness people need? This dumb question is precisely what Gogol asks along with his immortal types.
Gogol created a sad poem because life itself is sad. “God, how sad is our Russia!” - said Pushkin, reading the handwritten sketches for "Dead Souls". Sad book about sad Russia. But Russia is impossible without holy faith in its greatness and immortality, in its inexhaustible mystery and fabulous radiance. And therefore all this cannot but be in Gogol's poem. And it's all there, of course. And all of it is the anthem of Russia, solemn and majestic:
Rus! Rus! I see you, from a wonderful, beautiful far away I see you; poor, scattered and uncomfortable in you; the impudent divas of nature, crowned with impudent divas of art, will not amuse, will not frighten the eyes. “…” Everything in you is open-desert and even; like dots, like badges, your low cities imperceptibly stick out among the plains; nothing will seduce or charm the eye. But what incomprehensible, secret force attracts you? Why is your melancholy song, rushing along your entire length and width, from sea to sea, heard and heard incessantly in your ears? What's in it, in this song? What calls, and sobs, and grabs the heart? What sounds painfully kiss and strive to the soul and curl around my heart? Rus! what do you want from me? What incomprehensible bond lurks between us? Why do you look like that, and why does everything that is in you turn eyes full of expectation on me? And still, full of bewilderment, I stand motionless, and already a menacing cloud overshadowed my head, heavy with coming rains, and my thought was dumb before your space. What does this vast expanse prophesy? Is it not here, in you, that an infinite thought is born, when you yourself are without end? Is there not a hero to be here, when there is a place where to turn around and walk for him? And menacingly embraces me a mighty space, reflected in my depths with terrible power; my eyes lit up with an unnatural power: what a sparkling, wonderful, unfamiliar distance to the earth! Rus!
But here's something else amazing: Gogol's "beautiful far away" is not only sunny Italy, from where he addressed his compatriots. Today, this is already a temporary category, and the great Russian writer turns from his distant time to our present and not our future, to that Russia in which he always believed wholeheartedly and in which he believes and teaches all of us!
I read the first volume and the surviving parts of the second. The rating is for the first volume.
Gogol, Gogol, I can’t say that you are different, but for some reason you are interesting in different ways (sometimes, though not very much). "Dead Souls" is one of those works of the school curriculum that I remember with warmth. And finally I re-read it; I am very glad that the impression is absolutely not blurred, sometimes I almost squealed with delight when I read the description of some characters.
In fact, how can Manilov not lure the reader, pleasant in every respect, a dreamer, and what a sweet relationship with his wife, sweet children, how sweet in communication, actions, manners ... oh, that is, pah, already reduces his teeth. And my favorite Plushkin? Either a woman, or a man, an untidy, tight-fisted drive who drags, drags, drags and does not give back. In a word, "star". How can one come to such a life? Can i! Yes, yes, you can, and they will show us how. No less interesting were the images of other landowners puffed up by Chichikov.
And the main character himself, collegiate adviser Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov, was sooooo interesting for his lack of interest. And yet ... Who knows who this muddy type is. Neither fat nor thin, neither old nor young, "wherever you turn - everywhere a decent person." He even delivered his speeches "quite properly" neither loudly nor quietly. Tell me, isn't all this surprising? At least one wormhole. How lucky we are that you and I are readers, and we are "not fools", we see, we know everything, we are warned and armed in advance. And so if we got this guy, we would be led how to give a drink.
I really like books where social quirks are revealed or "revealed", so to speak. From the outside, oh, how funny it is to look at it all, you read this and get indignant, scolding the heroes. And then you look in the mirror, but you get a little bit sad. In all societies of all times there will be these types of people: flattering, getting everything in any way, misers, blaspheming everyone around, fawning, exaggerating and brave. The first volume satisfied me 100%.
But there are no excerpts from the second. And they shouldn't have, because how to evaluate omissions and omissions? I will only say: Chichikov is such Chichikov there. It would be very interesting to know where his new adventures brought him? New interesting characters are emerging. And what is most surprising, there is one positive character there (unlike the first volume, where there are only "flawed ones"). This is a gymnasium teacher who finds the right approach to boy students and tries to prepare them for life both with the help of useful (!) Knowledge and psychologically. And not only teaches "a pleasant pastime and the basics of virtues," as modern education was described in volume 1. In general, the writer teased and burned, how is it possible?
Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol worked on this work for 17 years. According to the writer's plan, the grandiose literary work was to consist of three volumes. Gogol himself repeatedly reported that the idea of the work was proposed to him by Pushkin. Alexander Sergeevich was also one of the first listeners of the poem.
Work on "Dead Souls" was difficult. The writer changed the concept several times, reworked individual parts. Only on the first volume, which was published in 1842, Gogol worked for six years.
A few days before his death, the writer burned the manuscript of the second volume, from which only drafts of the first four and one of the last chapters survived. The author did not have time to start the third volume.
At first, Gogol considered "Dead Souls" satirical a novel in which he intended to show "all of Russia." But in 1840, the writer fell seriously ill, and was healed literally by a miracle. Nikolai Vasilievich decided that this was a sign - the Creator himself demands that he create something that serves the spiritual revival of Russia. Thus, the idea of "Dead Souls" was rethought. The idea was to create a trilogy similar to Dante's Divine Comedy. Hence the genre definition of the author - a poem.
Gogol believed that in the first volume it was necessary to show the disintegration of feudal society, its spiritual impoverishment. In the second, to give hope for the purification of "dead souls". In the third, the revival of a new Russia was already planned.
The basis of the plot the poem became a scam official Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov. Its essence was as follows. A census of serfs was carried out in Russia every 10 years. Therefore, the peasants who died between the censuses, according to official documents (revision tale), were considered alive. Chichikov's goal is to buy "dead souls" at a low price, and then pawn them in the board of trustees and get a lot of money. The fraudster is counting on the fact that such a deal is beneficial for the landlords: they do not need to pay taxes for the deceased until the next audit. In search of "dead souls" Chichikov travels around Russia.
Such a plot outline allowed the author to create a social panorama of Russia. In the first chapter, an acquaintance with Chichikov takes place, then the author describes his meetings with landowners and officials. The last chapter is again devoted to the swindler. The image of Chichikov and his purchase of dead souls unite the storyline of the work.
The landowners in the poem are typical representatives of people of their circle and time: spenders (Manilov and Nozdrev), savers (Sobakevich and Korobochka). This gallery is completed by the spendthrift and accumulator in one person - Plyushkin.
Image of Manilov especially successful. This hero gave the name to the whole phenomenon of Russian reality - "Manilovism". In communication with others, Manilov is soft to the point of cloying, loving posturing in everything, but an empty and completely inactive owner. Gogol showed a sentimental dreamer who is only capable of lining up beautiful rows of ashes knocked out of a pipe. Manilov is stupid and lives in the world of his useless fantasies.
landowner Nozdrev on the contrary, it is very active. But his seething energy is not directed at all to economic concerns. Nozdrev is a gambler, a spendthrift, a reveler, a braggart, an empty and frivolous person. If Manilov seeks to please everyone, then Nozdryov is constantly dirtying. Not from evil, however, such is his nature.
Nastasya Petrovna Korobochka- a type of economic, but narrow-minded and conservative landowner, quite tight-fisted. The circle of her interests: pantry, barns and a poultry house. Korobochka even went to the nearest town twice in her life. In everything that goes beyond the limits of her everyday worries, the landowner is impassibly stupid. The author calls her "cudgel-headed".
Mikhail Semenovich Sobakevich the writer identifies with the bear: he is clumsy and clumsy, but strong and strong. The landowner is primarily interested in the practicality and durability of things, and not their beauty. Sobakevich, despite his rough appearance, has a sharp mind and cunning. This is a vicious and dangerous predator, the only one of the landowners capable of accepting the new capitalist way of life. Gogol notices that the time is coming for such cruel business people.
Plushkin's image does not fit into any framework. The old man himself is malnourished, starves the peasants, and a lot of food rots in his pantries, Plyushkin's chests are crammed with expensive things that are becoming unusable. Incredible stinginess deprives this man of his family.
Officialdom in "Dead Souls" is through and through a corrupt company of thieves and swindlers. In the system of urban bureaucracy, the writer paints with large strokes the image of a “jug snout”, ready to sell his own mother for a bribe. No better than the narrow-minded police chief and alarmist prosecutor who died of fear because of Chichikov's scam.
The main character is a rogue, in which some features of other characters are guessed. He is amiable and prone to posturing (Manilov), petty (Korobochka), greedy (Plyushkin), enterprising (Sobakevich), narcissistic (Nozdrev). Among officials, Pavel Ivanovich feels confident, because he went through all the universities of fraud and bribery. But Chichikov is smarter and more educated than those with whom he deals. He is an excellent psychologist: he delights the provincial society, masterfully bargains with every landowner.
The writer put a special meaning into the title of the poem. These are not only the dead peasants who are bought by Chichikov. By "dead souls" Gogol understands the emptiness and lack of spirituality of his characters. There is nothing sacred for the money-grubber Chichikov. Plyushkin has lost all human likeness. A box for the sake of profit does not mind digging up coffins. At Nozdryov's, only dogs live well; their own children are abandoned. Manilov's soul sleeps like a deep sleep. There is not a drop of decency and nobility in Sobakevich.
The landowners look different in the second volume. Tentetnikov- A disillusioned philosopher. He is immersed in thought and does not do household chores, but is smart and talented. costanjoglo and an exemplary landowner. Millionaire Murazov also endearing. He forgives Chichikov and stands up for him, helps Khlobuev.
But we never saw the rebirth of the main character. A person who has let the “golden calf” into his soul, a bribe taker, embezzler and swindler is unlikely to be able to become different.
The writer did not find during his life the answer to the main question: where is Russia rushing like a fast troika? But "Dead Souls" remains a reflection of Russia in the 30s of the XIX century and an amazing gallery satirical images, many of which have become household names. "Dead Souls" is a striking phenomenon in Russian literature. The poem opened a whole direction in it, which Belinsky called "critical realism".
Asked a review of Gogol's book "Dead Souls". Help me please! and got the best answer
Answer from Nastyushka[guru]
The work of N.V. Gogol is multifaceted and varied. The writer has the talent to captivate the reader, makes them cry and laugh along with the characters, experience failures and rejoice in successes. He calls on a person to think about the fate of the motherland, on himself, reveals the shortcomings of society and every citizen. In my opinion, the author perfectly manages to reveal the soul of the hero, his inner world.
It was in the poem "Dead Souls" that the author raised the most painful and topical issues of contemporary life. He clearly showed the decomposition of the serfdom, the doom of its representatives. The very title of the poem had a tremendous revealing power, carried "something terrifying." I agree with A. I. Herzen, who said that “he could not call her otherwise; not dead souls of the Reviz, but all these nostrils, manilovs and all the others - these are dead souls, and we meet them at every step. Who are these heroes that the great critic spoke about?
A very courteous Mr. P. I. Chichikov arrives in a certain city. In his appearance, we are initially struck by the refinement of taste, accuracy, good breeding. True, we still only guess about the purpose of his arrival. Chichikov pays visits to local landowners. Here he comes to Manilov. This landowner somehow reminds me of Chichikov himself. He considers himself educated, noble and highly educated. However, let's take a look at his office. What will we see there? A dusty book, which has been open for 2 years now on the fourteenth page, everywhere there are heaps of ashes, dust, disorder. Manilov selflessly dreams of "the well-being of a friendly life", makes fantastic plans for future improvements. But this is an empty phrase; His words and actions do not jibe. And we see that in the description of the owners of the estates, their hobbies and interests, the author's ability to show the lack of spirituality and pettiness of aspirations, the emptiness of the soul, is manifested by several details of the situation. From one chapter to another, Gogol's accusatory satirical pathos grows. From Manilov to Sobakevich, the feeling of the necrosis of the landlord's souls intensifies. Sobakevich, in Gogol's words, "the devil's fist." The unbridled passion for enrichment pushes him to cunning, makes him seek more and more new means of profit. This is what makes him actively innovate: he introduces a cash quitrent on his estate. Oddly enough, but the sale and purchase of dead souls does not surprise him at all. He is only interested in how much he gets for them.
Another representative of the landlords is Nozdrev. This is a fidget, a hero of fairs, drinking parties and a card table. His business is extremely neglected. Only the kennel is in excellent condition. Among dogs, he is like a “father”, among a large family. The income received from the peasants, he immediately drinks away. This speaks of his moral decline, indifference to people.
Korobochka has a completely different attitude to the household. She has a pretty village, her yard is full of all kinds of birds, there are "spacious vegetable gardens with cabbage, onions, potatoes", there are apple trees and other fruit trees. The box can't see beyond its nose. Everything new scares her. This is a typical representative of small provincial landowners leading subsistence farming. Her behavior is also guided by a passion for profit.
Complete moral impoverishment and loss of human qualities are characteristic of Plyushkin. I guess the writer was right when he called him "a tear in humanity." Speaking of Plyushkin, Gogol exposes the horrors of serfdom. He considered the chapter on him one of the most difficult. After all, Plyushkin not only completes the gallery of landowners' "dead souls" - this person bears the most obvious signs of an incurable deadly disease ... Once Plyushkin was a hardworking owner, not devoid of intelligence and worldly vigilance. But everything went to dust: his family fell apart and he remained the sole keeper and sovereign owner of his treasures. Constant loneliness increased his suspicion and stinginess. He sank lower and lower until he turned into a "hole in humanity." Why did this happen? I think I acted here
